Devil's Genes
by rockyBubbles
Summary: The devil and Kazuya have great plans for Jin, but they don't plan on having to deal with the very passionate Hwoarang. See how Jin and Hwoarang have to work through their differences in order to escape the impossible. /SLASH/
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everybody! This is rockyBubbles, and I want to try something different. It's kinda slow at first, but I promise it will get better in the near future. Big THANKIES to my lovely beta, Salysha! She has been very patient with me (and still is)!**

**WARNINGS: This is a SLASH story, and Jin and Hwoarang will eventually get together. If you don't like it, then kindly leave this story and leave me alone. **

**Also watch out for Kazuya. He will probably be horribly out of character, but I'll try for the most part to at least make it go with the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot... and even then it doesn't seem like mine.**

**Okay, even though half of you just ignored all of that stuff above, I'm still going to say: On with the story!!!!**

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Hwoarang woke up with a pounding headache. He tried to open his eyes, but it made his headache that much worse. Bringing a hand to his head, he tried to regain his bearings. Where was he? Why did he feel so hung over? What happened?

Again, Hwoarang tried to open his eyes. This time, it wasn't so bad, but his vision blurred, as his eyes tried to adjust to his surroundings.

As his vision cleared, Hwoarang glanced at the alarm clock on a nightstand near the bed. The numbers 4:23 blinked brightly in red. It was dark so he figured it was still early morning.

Shifting his gaze, Hwoarang noted that he was in a bed, a large, luxurious bed, very unlike his own. What the hell had happened?! How had he gotten into a place like this? Hwoarang was a sweet talker, but he didn't think a chick would ever take him to a place this nice. This had to be a five star hotel, especially if there was a door to the bedroom. Since the door was open, Hwoarang could see into a small living room.

"What the hell?" Hwoarang realized, after he tried to get up, that he was nestled into someone's side. Why the fuck hadn't he caught that before? And why was he aching so badly? His body hurt all over. Had he fought before he ended ending up here? It wasn't uncommon for him to be seen out, unwinding from a particularly hard day of training, but he didn't remember any rigorous training in the past few hours.

Hwoarang thought for a moment, trying to make sense of the situation.

Wait a minute. A woman couldn't make him hurt... unless it wasn't a chick! Not that he had any problems with dudes. It's just that he was usually a pitcher... not a catcher.

Glancing up, Hwoarang's breath caught in his throat. This couldn't have happened.

His mind wandered to the other person. How did he wind up in bed with him? Hwoarang started rethinking of the idea of him being drunk because he would never have done this sober. Not that the man wasn't spectacular in his own right, he just wasn't Hwoarang's type.

"Hwoarang…?" While Hwoarang's mind had been elsewhere, he hadn't realized his bedpartner had woken up.

Jin peered around the room groggily and then focused on his bedmate. Hwoarang figured Jin had no idea how this had happened, either. They were both in the same boat on this situation.

"Jin." Hwoarang held Jin's stare as he sat up. There was an uncomfortable silence that made his body ache even more than it already did.

"What are you doing in my bed?" Jin's eyes narrowed. "And why does it feel like I've been hit by train?"

Hwoarang smirked. Well, obviously he'd given as well good as he'd gotten.

"I don't know, Jin. You tell me." Hwoarang shifted, making the pain ease a little.

Jin frowned and got out of the bed to turn the lights on. Hwoarang noticed the limp Jin tried to hide. His smirk widened.

As the light was flipped on, Hwoarang's eyes bulged, and the smirk fell from his face. Jin's figure was littered in bruises and red blotches. He turned his attention to himself. There was a handprint on his chest! He was also covered in black and blue, but still, there was a handprint on his chest.

Hwoarang's attention was pulled away from his body by Jin's growl. Jin was focused on himself.

"Hwoarang… you had better have a good explanation for why you are still here." Although his voice was controlled, Hwoarang heard the obvious anger.

"Hey! Apparently it was consensual last night! I want to know what happened, too!" Hwoarang stood up defensively.

"I would never consent to do _this_ with you. You aren't worth it," Jin seethed.

"Not worth it? I bet you thought it was worth it last night! Look at yourself, you're limping!" Hwoarang motioned to Jin's body, a smug expression clear on his face.

"You have ten seconds to get out of my room before I call security and have you thrown out."

"Ha! You can't deny that it was good!" Hwoarang let the amusement ring clearly in his voice.

"Hwoarang, get out!"

"I bet last night, it was more like, 'Hwoarang I want more.'" Hwoarang laughed.

Jin was shaking with anger. How dare this man come into his hotel room, put bruises on him, and then taunt him the morning after! He would kill Hwoarang, or better yet, have Nina do it for him. Jin composed himself and picked up the phone on the wall to call his bodyguard.

"Nina, I am in need of your services."

"What? You don't think I can take on Nina? Dude, I totally took you on last night. I can handle her anytime." Hwoarang may have been in pain, but that was slowly turning into a dull throb he could ignore. On the positive side, a little pain now and then had never kept him from backing down from a challenge.

"Pray you live to regret those words, Hwoarang."

"And why do you like using my name so much? Does it leave your lips tingling or something, or do you just enjoy saying it? Wow, if I'd known you liked me before, we could have started this affair last tournament."

Jin growled. His hate for his rival burned now like a furnace. When the rivalry first had first begun, he had no problem with the man, but over the last two tournaments, Hwoarang had gotten annoying. Now, they had ended end up in a room together, with Hwoarang making a complete idiot of himself and him. Jin wouldn't allow this. If Nina didn't get here soon, then he'd kill Hwoarang himself.

A knock at the front door signaled Nina's arrival. Jin turned away from Hwoarang, heading to the front door.

Hwoarang knew that if Jin answered the door, then he wouldn't get the answers he wanted. So, he did the only thing he could think of: quickly, he followed Jin to the door and latched on to him. He held his arms securely around Jin's chest, constricting the movements of his arms and upper body. Hwoarang also widened his stance to keep his balance in case Jin tried to escape.

"Hwoarang, what do you think you're doing?" Jin wriggled, trying to get himself free, but Hwoarang held on tightly, keeping Jin him in place.

"You won't answer that door," Hwoarang purred.

"And why won't I? I paid for this room, didn't I?" Again, Jin tried to free himself, but to no avail.

"So? We were in the middle of a 'morning after' _talk._ I think that's more important than you letting _Nina_ in." Hwoarang let his disdain for Nina her show in his voice.

"And you know why I called her, too. Get off me and get out of my room."

"Yeah, I don't want to." Hwoarang tightened his grip on Jin.

"Get off. I am warning you," Jin growled.

"No," Hwoarang said simply.

Jin bowed his head and focused. Lightning began to pulse up his arms and around his torso.

"Hey!" Hwoarang let go quickly, as he felt the raw energy burn him. "What was that for?"

Jin glared at Hwoarang before continuing to open his door. Nina stood patiently, a cross look on her face. It was too early in the morning for this.

"Please escort him out of my room by any means necessary," Jin spat as he stomped to the bathroom down the hall. A hot shower would do his aching muscles and his fried nerves some good.

"Yes, sir." Nina turned her attention to Hwoarang, who was now closing the bedroom door behind him. Nina heard the lock click.

Hwoarang quickly looked for his clothes. Upon finding his shirt shredded and his pants ripped, he decided Jin wouldn't mind letting him borrow some clothes.

While browsing for a T-shirt and some jeans, Hwoarang heard someone banging on the door. Considering he heard water going, he assumed the person at the door had to be Nina. He'd have to hurry if he didn't want to get kicked out of the hotel naked.

Hwoarang succeeded in finding a T-shirt, but jeans were impossible to find. Instead, he grabbed a pair of sweatpants that were a little big on him, but would do. He slid on his trademark boots and made it to the window when just as the bedroom door flew in. No way in hell was he getting caught by that woman to be thrown out of a hotel this expensive. It would ruin his reputation with the ladies.

Nina stood in the doorway scowling. He could imagine the smoke billowing out of her ears. Too bad she was too late. He was already out the window.

Before Nina could register what to do, Hwoarang winked and disappeared down the fire escape.

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**All right, I know it's more focused on Hwoarang right now, but the next chapter will be about Jin, and it gets more into the plot.**

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

** Hey, everyone, I'm back! Nice little update for you! Give thanks to the mighty Salysha! **

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.**

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Jin shut the door to the bathroom and turned on the water. When it was hot enough, he stepped under the gentle spray of the shower gratefully. As the water soothed his sore muscles, Jin let his mind go over the morning's events.

How could this have happened? He must have gotten drunk, but he hardly ever drank. He only did that when it was time to appease someone important. Even then, he never got drunk, but that was still the only explanation for what had happened. He didn't even remember the night before.

Jin sighed heavily. This shouldn't have happened. Hwoarang shouldn't have woken up in his hotel room. Why was he even there? What, exactly, had caused this event? Jin tried to remember the day before.

* * *

It started from a meeting with a representative from G Corporation, the business managed by his father Kazuya. He was supposed to have had the day off, but an important call from his secretary told him that it was vital for his career that he appeared at the meeting. At first, Jin thought the meeting wasn't all that important. He handled one of the most powerful businesses in the world, but at the name of G Corporation, he rushed to get ready.

G Corporation was the only business to rival the Mishima Zaibatsu. Once Jin had made it clear that he wanted a monopoly, G Corporation had informed him that it would never stand down. Jin had chased shadows and rumors trying to find the owner. Not only did that fail, it also became clear that his staff couldn't tell him anything either. That was when he had hired Nina. Nina had found out that Kazuya Mishima was the force behind G Corporation.

At the meeting with their representative, Jin found out that Kazuya wanted to monopolize the area as well. The representative wanted to draw up a legal document that would hand the Mishima Zaibatsu over to G Corporation. Although infuriated, Jin calmly told the man to back off. The man sighed before pulling out another piece of paper. The note appeared much less formal than the man standing in front of him. On the note was scribbled in dark ink:

_If you refuse my offer to end this peacefully, I will find you, and you will hand over the Mishima Zaibatsu. Because I bear the name Mishima, I can easily take it from you. Do not think you can hide from me. We are more _connected_ than you realize. _

Jin knew, even though it wasn't signed, that the threat was from Kazuya. He was so pissed off that he wanted to snap the representative's neck, but instead, stormed out of the office. The rage seemed to eat away at his very soul, and Jin knew that if he didn't find a release soon, the devil would take control.

Immediately, he went to his favorite dojo; fighting was a good way to blow off steam. Unfortunate for him, his rival was there. Jin tried to ignore Hwoarang's presence by focusing more on getting changed and hitting something.

For a while, all was well. There were so many other people in the dojo that Jin could successfully ignore the other man, but as soon as Hwoarang noticed him, the taunts began. Words of rematches and hate and fight were all that registered with him. Jin tried his best to keep calm, but his energetic rival kept pushing.

Finally, Jin snapped.

He lashed out at Hwoarang, catching the man in his stomach. Hwoarang smiled triumphantly, and the fight was on. The fight had gotten so violent that the dojo had to be cleared because no one could make them go outside.

After what seemed like hours, the two men were still at it. Neither made any progress other than a couple of bruises, and Jin felt his mind slipping. Hwoarang didn't stop the taunts, though. If anything, they got worse. Jin felt as though Hwoarang had a death wish and so he let go.

He could feel the devil break loose from its mental bonds and surface to the forefront of his mind. Vaguely, he heard Hwoarang curse colorfully and was somewhat aware of himself laughing, but after that, there was nothing.

* * *

Again, Jin sighed.

The water had gotten cold, and steam filled the small room like a heavy fog, and so he decided it was time to get out. His muscles had loosened some, but he was still tense from stress and exhaustion.

Jin took a moment to take a deep breath and refocus. He listened carefully for any movement in the room outside. All was quiet, and so he assumed Nina had done her job.

He opened the door to allow some of the steam to clear the room before wiping the mirror clean. He hadn't had a chance to look at his face when Hwoarang had been there. He had been too busy thinking of ways to kill the man without touching him.

As Jin looked into the mirror, his reflection began to distort. Jin glared at the image. The devil version of him had made itself known. Two pools of black stared back at him, as Jin tried to keep from breaking the glass.

"Jin, baby, it's been a while since we've had the opportunity to talk like this," the devil cooed.

"That's because I don't like you," Jin seethed.

"Come now, I'm a part of you. You can't hate yourself, now can you?"

Jin growled. "Why are you here?"

The devil giggled gleefully. "Why so serious?*"

"I haven't got the time for games." Jin turned to exit the bathroom.

"Wait," the devil called. The image of Jin's doppelganger remained even though Jin had turned away from the mirror. The devil stayed smug.

"What?"

"What?" the devil repeated. "I just thought you would like to know what happened last night between you and that redhead."

Jin stayed still. He hated to admit it, but the devil had his full attention now. He could feel the triumph roll off him in waves.

"Would you like to know?"

"Tell me," was all Jin said.

"You know, that's no way to talk to anyone," the devil replied smoothly. The damned thing would make Jin admit to wanting to know.

"You're not just anyone."

"Ah, flattery will get you nowhere, Jin. You should know that by now," the devil laughed.

"Good, because that wasn't a compliment."

"If that's the case, you should really work on your insults." The devilish grin spoke volumes.

"Are you going to tell me what happened or not? I really have other things to be doing rather than arguing with my reflection." Jin folded his arms over his chest in an attempt to stay put. If he walked away now, he might not ever find out what was going on.

"Ha, fine, then." The devil readjusted itself in the mirror. "You got laid."

Jin didn't speak. He looked hatefully in the mirror, before finally closing his eyes.

"Not what you wanted to hear?" The devil smiled ferociously.

"That much is apparent, thank you. And now, if that's all, I'll be taking my leave." Jin opened his eyes to see the devil looking at him seriously. It was very uncomfortable.

"I don't like that redhead." The devil remained serious.

"Neither do I, but I don't see where you're going with this." Jin fidgeted a little under the devil's intense gaze. It was a lot easier for him to handle it when it was smug and playful.

"Stay away from him. He's interfering with Kazuya's plans."

"What's your point?" Jin hissed lowly. There was no point in raising his voice to someone—or something— that wouldn't listen.

"He has this effect on you. Even when you were unconscious, you felt passionately about him. I had to fuck him to keep him from killing us. You made me so weak. I couldn't defend us like I'm supposed to. I mean, he was able to overpower us. That is _not_ something that's supposed to happen." The devil glared at Jin. "Stay away from Hwoarang."

Jin stood numb from this revelation. He felt passionately about Hwoarang? Hwoarang had overpowered the devil?

"What are you babbling on about?" Jin finally mustered enough energy to voice the thought.

The devil grinned again. "Ah, you are letting yourself be overtaken by such a hunger that you haven't even realized you're letting me through. That's how I can show myself to you now."

Jin frowned. Had his hunger for power driven him so far as to let himself be taken over by the devil? He had been so careful, though. He had tried so hard to stay in control.

"I see those wheels turning, Jin. What are you thinking about?"

"What are you saying?"

"Ah, before long, I'll be strong enough to consume you completely. With Kazuya's help, we could be one. You and I could be unstoppable. With Kazuya, we could have all the power we could ever want. We have a connection with him that's so strong he can feel us." The devil licked his lips, staring at Jin.

"I will never allow you to win."

"Honey, it's a little too late for that. Kazuya is on his way. After he lost connection with us, he figured the time to find us is now."

Jin growled. Although he loathed the fact, he needed to get to Hwoarang if he wanted to stay in control. There seemed to be no other way.

"I want you to know that I'll take good care of us. You won't need to lift a finger once we've joined together, once we've become one."

"I'll find Hwoarang."

The devil paused before smirking. "Maybe you didn't think this through. Jin, sweetheart, leave the thinking to me. I know what's best for you, for us. Trust me; Hwoarang is a waste of time. Besides, what could Hwoarang do to stop Kazuya from finding us? Honestly, what do you think your _father _would do to him?"

"How would he be able to find us without that _connection_?" Jin retorted.

"Your father is an expert tracker, anyway. He wouldn't have to have this link we have. Plus, how long would it be before you got tired of Hwoarang? Your hate for him would eventually surface, and when you left him, Kazuya would find us. You wouldn't last very long."

Jin winced. The stupid devil was right. How long could he stay with Hwoarang before the man became too aggravating? It wouldn't take long at all. Even the thought of Hwoarang irritated him. How would he be able to stand the man's presence?

"Heh, you had better go get dressed, darling. Daddy dear should be here soon."

Jin promptly turned away from the mirror. Fuck for not being able to tolerate Hwoarang. He had to try something. Jin moved into his room. He faintly noted that it looked like someone had been through his clothes, but at the moment, that didn't matter.

Throwing on a pair of khakis and a plain black t-shirt, Jin noticed the devil standing in the full-length mirror of the bathroom door.

"Going somewhere?" it questioned.

"I'm leaving." Jin grabbed his wallet, cell phone, and a small backpack before heading to the door.

"Aww, don't leave yet. We were just getting to know each other."

Jin growled and exited the room. As he left the hotel room, he could still hear the echoes of the devil's laugh.

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*Y**es that was a reference Joker!**

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back with another update! Please read and enjoy. And please, thank Salysha. She is the person who weeds out my mistakes and makes this story readable.**

It had been a while since Kazuya had been here. According to his sources, the Western-style hotel he stood in front of was the one Jin had stayed in. If his plan had worked, Jin would have left not too long ago. Kazuya smirked.

Jin was so much like his father, it was laughable. Heihachi would have been proud to know that Jin was just as consumed by power as he was.

Pushing his thoughts aside, Kazuya entered the building. It seemed only rich people milled around there. It would be kind of odd to them to watch a low-class redhead walk among them.

Finally making it to the front desk, Kazuya put on his most intimidating face. The young man behind the desk immediately tensed up and lowered his eyes from Kazuya's shades to the papers on the desk.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"Yes. I'm looking for my son."

"Uh-um. W-what's your s-son's name?"

"_**Hahaha. This kid has no confidence."**_ Kazuya silently agreed with the devil.

"Kazama, Jin."

"I-I can call him down for you?" The young man reached for the phone.

"No. If you'll just give me his room number, I'll be on my way."

The young man hastily nodded before reaching for the book to find Jin's room number. "He's in room 1608."

"Thank you." Kazuya dipped his head lightly in respect and watched the boy almost bend in half, trying to return it. Kazuya sneered and then made his way to Jin's room.

"_**A cleaning lady should be around here somewhere. That way, you won't have to break the door down." **_

"I think the door being kicked in would make it look realistic," he commented coolly.

"_**Maybe, but they do have cameras. Won't be any good if someone saw the door intact earlier, either. Play it safe."**_

Kazuya curtly nodded his agreement and began looking for housekeeping. A thin Asian woman with a blue-and-white uniform on emerged from a room ahead. Acting on instinct, he quickly bumped into the woman, knocking her down.

A squeak escaped the woman as she hit the ground quite heavily.

"Excuse me. I guess I need to be more careful of where I'm going." Kazuya stretched his hand out to help her up.

The woman eyed him for a moment before taking his hand and pulling herself up. "Thank you, sir," she mumbled.

Kazuya smirked as he watched her scurry away from him; she hadn't even realized he had gotten the master key that had been latched onto her waist.

"_**Ha! I don't think she likes you very much, Kazuya,"**_the devil snickered.

"Yeah, well, look who has the key."

It didn't take Kazuya long to find Jin's room, and when he finally got the room open, he was almost shocked. The room had clothes thrown everywhere, the drawers were taken out of the dressers, and the bed looked unkempt. "It looks like someone has already done my job."

"_**The redhead would be responsible for that. I think Jin was in quite a bit of a hurry not to notice,"**_the devil snickered.

"Well, there's only one thing to do now." Kazuya snatched out his smartphone and dialed the emergency phone number.

"What's your emergency?" It was a cheery voice; one you wouldn't want answering an emergency hotline.

"I'd like to report my son Kazama Jin missing."

Hwoarang finally made it back to his apartment. Really, he would have been back sooner if it hadn't been for some little red-hooded toddler latching onto him and calling him daddy. He honestly didn't even know where she had come from. After giving the girl, whom he had begun calling Little Red, back to a sputtering teenage girl (most likely the girl's babysitter), he had come straight home.

Now that he was there, Hwoarang decided to just turn on the television and relax. The night before seemed like it had been stressful, especially since Jin had been with him. So, why not just sit back and enjoy his free time?

As soon as he got comfortable, there was a knock on the door. Groaning, he decided he would ignore it for now. He figured the person would just give up and go away, but there was no such luck. The knock, this time, was more impatient. "What do you want?" Hwoarang called out as he opened the door.

"I want to speak with you," Jin said.

"What are you doing here?" Out of all the people who could have shown up at his door, Hwoarang was shocked to find that it was the one and only Jin Kazama.

"I want to speak with you. It's kind of urgent. May I come in?" Jin seemed jittery. He was nothing like the cool and collected person Hwoarang knew.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Hwoarang stepped away from the door to allow Jin in. "So, uh… you want something to drink or something?" Hwoarang asked, leaning against the closed door.

Jin gave him a puzzled look. Was Hwoarang being nice?

Hwoarang immediately noticed the questioning look Jin gave him. Jin wasn't used to him not wanting to fight. "Hey, I'm off the clock right now, and I don't really want to mess up my place. Do you want something to drink or not?"

"No, thanks."

"Okay, um, why don't you have a seat?" Hwoarang moved to the couch to clear some of the magazines and worthless papers onto the coffee table.

"Thank you."

"Sure."

An awkward silence fell over the two. After spending so much time arguing with someone you called a rival, there was little else to do but hurtle insults, and Hwoarang could tell Jin wasn't in the mood.

"So, why are you in Japan?" Jin said, breaking the silence.

"Oh, remember how I went AWOL? I got this place so I could register for the tournament and the military folks wouldn't catch on. I never got the chance to get rid of it, so I just decided to keep it and stay here."

Jin nodded his head to let Hwoarang know that he had heard him.

"So, you-uh, wanted to talk about something?"

"I-well, I really don't know how to say it."

Hwoarang cocked his head to the side. It wasn't often that Jin was at a loss for words. Then again, they never did just talk.

"Well, then, just say it."

"I'm being consumed by the devil gene, and Kazuya is after the company."

Hwoarang blinked owlishly.

"See, it's complicated. And it's a long story, too. But I need your help."

"Why?"

"Believe it or not, you… you seem to drain the problem that I have."

"Okay, I'm game. What kind of a problem do you have that I would be able to help you with?"

"I'll answer that, but right now, we have to go."

"Why?"

"If I can find you, I know Kazuya can find you."

Hwoarang sighed. "So, where exactly do you want to go?"

Jin thought for a moment. "Are you hungry?"

"First, I wake up in your bed, and now you want to take me out to lunch. I'm starting to think you really want me, Jin," Hwoarang said with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood.

"What could possibly make you think that I want you?"

"Obviously, you want something."

Jin huffed.

"I'm just messing with you. Come on, I know a place with some good Italian food." Hwoarang started for the door.

"Wait. You might want to grab a bag of clothes or at least some valuables. I'm not sure if you'll even be able to come back."

Hwoarang frowned. "What kind of trouble are you in, Kazama?

"Like I said before, it's a long story. I'll explain it all later. Can you get your bags already?"

"No, you can explain it to me now, while I get my stuff." Hwoarang went to his bedroom and began gathering his things. "So, what exactly is trying to consume you?"

"Remember when we fought? I turned into Devil Jin."

"Yea, you did that all the time in the tournament. What about it?"

"That's the devil gene, and it has a mind of its own. I learned a long time ago how to repress it, but it seems, when I won the tournament, I also gave it power over my mind. I was focused on having power over the Zaibatsu, and I gave it power over my mind."

"Wait, so that _thing_ you transform into is real?"

"Yea, what did you think it was?"

"I don't know… an illusion of the arena, I guess. I just didn't think it was you."

"What do you want me to say? Would you rather me lie to you about it?"

"I'm just a little overwhelmed right now." Hwoarang's thoughts were clouded with confusion. Jin needed his help, and there was this devil alter ego of Jin's. Man, Jin really knew how to lay it on a guy. "Devil Jin is real and I fought against it… and I won. That's makes me kind of cool," he said with a smirk.

Jin resisted the urge to growl at Hwoarang. What made him so cool? Beating Devil Jin? He fought the devil on a mental level. That made him better, didn't it? Immediately after thinking it, Jin discarded the childish thought.

"Wow. And why is Kazuya after you?"

"I think he's just after the Mishima Zaibatsu, but I'm not for sure. He's a man who moves on his own whims. It wouldn't surprise me if he had ulterior motives, too. Also, it's his family name. You can see why he would want the company."

"No, not really, but okay."

"Something else has been bothering me about all this, too."

"What?"

"Why is it that the same time the devil wants my body, Kazuya wants control over the Zaibatsu? It doesn't make any sense. I mean, why not wait until I'm overtaken by the devil to take it from me?" Jin ran a shaky hand through his hair. It didn't help matters that the devil was communicating with Kazuya.

"How would Kazuya know when you have turned into the devil?"

"There's a bond between the three of us, I think. The devil is in my consciousness, but he is also with Kazuya."

"Come again?" Hwoarang was now thoroughly confused.

"They're working together. That has to be it," Jin said to himself.

"What are you mumbling to yourself?"

Jin just rolled his eyes. "Kazuya wants the Mishima Zaibatsu."

"Why? Doesn't he have G Corps?"

"G Corporation," Jin corrected. "Yes, he does, but like I said it's probably due to the family name and all."

"Right. And what does that have to do with the devil?" Hwoarang still thought it was odd to refer to the devil. He didn't even think it was real, but for now, he wouldn't question it.

"He's using the devil gene as a way to keep up with me. They're both after something and they need each other to obtain it… I think."

"Okay, you've lost me again." Jin didn't seem to hear him. As a matter of fact, Hwoarang would go as far as to say that Jin was ignoring him. "Well, once you're out of the picture, won't they just leave you alone? I mean, Kazuya will have what he wants, right?"

"What are you saying? Once I'm dead, they will leave me alone? Hwoarang, that doesn't make any sense."

"No! If you run away, won't they leave alone? I mean, they just need you out of their way, right?"

Jin paused. He had never thought about that. Would they still come after him once they had gained control over the Mishima Zaibatsu?

"I don't know."

Hwoarang glanced up at the man sitting on his sofa. Jin looked worn not only physically but mentally, too. He wanted to say something encouraging, something to get the man's spirits up, but he didn't know what. All they had ever exchanged were insults. "Well, I've got what I want. Let's get out of here." Hwoarang extended his hand to Jin.

"You never asked how you could help me."

"Doesn't matter now. You still have a while to explain all that to me later. But, as soon as this mess is over, we're going back to being rivals." Hwoarang smirked.

"You're a strange man, Hwoarang," Jin said, taking the offered hand.

"Ah, there we go. Whenever you say my name, I just know we were meant to be together," Hwoarang said with a laugh, as Jin made a face.

Who knew? Maybe things could change between the two. Hwoarang, usually not one to like change, was actually looking forward to spending more time with Jin, even if it was just about getting on the man's nerves.

**Thank you so much for reading! Please, it would be very nice of you to say thanks to Salysha in your review too.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to those who reviewed: Blue-Moons169, Salysha **

**Special thanks and all my love to my devoted beta, Salysha. She has been a big help to me as well as keeping up with her own story. You should check her story out. **

**I sincerely apologize for my long absence. Over the summer I was in Japan and when I came back I neglected my duties as an author. I owe you a longer chapter, and I will get to it soon enough, but for now I lack the capabilities to grammar and spell check this quickly. All mistakes will be my own and I will honestly try my hardest to edit it well enough to read it well at a reasonable pace. **

**Thanks for your patience and for reading! **

Hwoarang sat in La Boheme, facing Jin. After leaving his place, the two had gone to eat at the Italian place mentioned earlier. The only problem had been getting there. Hwoarang had wanted to ride his motorcycle, but Jin had made it clear that he was dissatisfied with that idea. Jin had calmly stated that Hwoarang couldn't drive 'that thing' safely and they weren't riding together. After a heated argument—well, more of Jin growling and he shouting that Jin wasn't listening—Jin had decided to take a cab and Hwoarang had been left with whatever he wanted to do. Of course, he had taken his bike.

Now that they had finally made it to the restaurant, the uncomfortable silence was back. Hwoarang tried to make conversation, but Jin seemed much more focused on his menu.

So instead of pursuing something that would never happen, Hwoarang used this time to really look at Jin. He noted the way Jin's eyes narrowed as he read over the menu, the way his hair looked absolutely blown away by the wind, and he couldn't help but notice the way he bit his lower lip in concentration. It was out of character, to say the least. Hwoarang was sure that Jin was the type of person to grit his teeth, not bite his lip.

Hwoarang pondered his history with Jin. Had he always seemed so vulnerable? Was this the result of Kazuya's doing? Whatever it was, he didn't want it to continue. He wanted the old Jin back. He liked fighting the only man that presented a _real_ challenge for him. He didn't like feeling he had to protect the other man. Well, Jin could handle himself. Hwoarang sure was of this… unless Kazuya presented himself to be a bigger threat than he originally thought.

Hwoarang adjusted himself in the booth. He was probably just thinking too much. The problem between Jin and his family wasn't such a big deal. It was so melodramatic. He didn't even know what role he was supposed to play in helping Jin. Something about quelling a problem or something to that effect. What could that mean?

Could it have something to do with Jin's transformation? He had changed the last time they had fought.

Hwoarang remembered standing in the dojo, watching Jin transform. Long horns had forced their way through Jin's head; black markings had formed intricate patterns on Jin's forehead and traced their way down his torso. The normally dark brown eyes had turned to a silvery gray color; they had seemed to call out to his very soul. Then, those magnificent wings! They had been massive in size and of a velvety black. Reflecting back, Hwoarang wished he could have touched them. Or maybe he had touched them, but didn't remember.

That same transformation had happened before, right after the fifth tournament, but no sooner than they had begun fighting, the helicopters had come for Jin.

Wait, he did remember Jin saying that Devil Jin had a mind of its own. He also remembered him saying something about Kazuya being involved with the whole thing, too. Hwoarang rubbed his head. The situation seemed a little too complicated for his liking.

Again, Hwoarang adjusted his position in the seat. Why was there all this time to think? And where was the waitress? _She should have already been back with our drinks,_ Hwoarang thought.

"Is everything all right?" That was the first time since sitting down that Jin talked to him.

"Worried about me already, huh?" Hwoarang immediately reverted back to his cockiness. It was like his fail safe.

"You were staring at me," was the blunt retort.

Hwoarang paused a moment, trying to decide what to say. In all honesty, he hadn't realized he'd been staring at Jin that long.

Thankfully, the situation was put on hold as the waitress finally came back to take their orders. Jin ordered first, easily becoming the ever-polite and soft-spoken gentleman. Hwoarang noticed how the waitress could barely hold the electronic pad straight.

Hwoarang slouched into his seat, tilting his head back to look at the waitress as she turned to him. A lazy smirk played on his lips as he ordered. That seemed to catch the waitress's attention as well. She was just too easy. When she left, Jin raised an elegant brow in his direction.

"What?" Hwoarang asked.

"You did that on purpose."

Hwoarang smirked. "Did what?"

"The waitress," Jin said flatly.

"Oh, that's just part of my charm." Hwoarang gave Jin a saucy grin.

"Right, I forgot. Hwoarang just wants to 'hit it and quit it,' right?" Jin smirked, pleased with his reply.

Hwoarang blinked owlishly for a few moments. He had no idea Jin knew what that meant. Jin was always the formal gentleman, never one to use street slang. Even Hwoarang himself tried not to sound ghetto.

"Wow. I didn't know you had it in you, Kazama." Hwoarang rolled his shoulders, as if to ready himself for a fight. "What else have you got in you?"

Jin visibly relaxed, although he still sat a little straighter than what Hwoarang considered comfortable. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied smartly.

Hwoarang laughed. "Never thought I'd see the day when Kazama Jin would be playful."

Jin shrugged: another gesture that Hwoarang had never thought he'd see.

It wasn't long before the waitress brought their food. She stayed to make sure they were okay, and Hwoarang entertained her until it was time for her to tend to the other customers.

As the two ate, Hwoarang went back to his thoughts. Jin had changed, or at least he acted differently than he did since they last fought at the tournament. It was like he lost that fire in him. There was only desperation and pain now, whereas at the tournament there was arrogance and defiance.

Thinking about the tournament brought back the feelings of rage and complete hatred he had for Jin. Then, the other had been infuriating! He always seemed to piss Hwoarang off with just by looking at him.

Hwoarang felt his face twist in disgust. Jin had given him the most heated looks he'd ever received. Even when the military found him, he didn't get such mean looks. It made him so mad that Jin could get him riled up for no reason.

Jin had paused to watch Hwoarang. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Hwoarang glanced up at him. Again, he found himself losing his cool, and because of Jin, no less. "Yes, I'm perfectly fine," Hwoarang growled, as he focused on his food. He could still feel Jin's intense gaze on his face.

* * *

Hwoarang was acting strangely, and not the normal, gets-on-your-nerves strange, either. Ever since coming to the restaurant, Hwoarang had been deep in thought. He hadn't even realized that his facial expressions had been changing with his thoughts.

Jin knew that Hwoarang was aware that he was still looking at him. He was just curious to know what was going through the other man's head.

He wondered if it had anything to do with the information he'd told him back at his place. It was a lot to understand, and he hadn't even grazed the top of it well. It could also be the life Hwoarang left behind. By the looks of the apartment, Hwoarang had no significant other in his life, but Jin was well aware of how deceiving looks could be.

Jin wanted to question Hwoarang, but he didn't think now was the time. They were in a public place with a nosy waitress that had her eyes set on Hwoarang, an old couple that kept eyeing them strangely, and someone else that wore stalker-ish attire seemed to be watching them. Honestly, people these days had no shame.

Jin finally turned his eyes away from Hwoarang, and felt the relief wash over the man. Was he that intimidated? Jin thought back to their previous encounters. Hwoarang had always been confident and cocky. Now he seemed a little… reserved? No, that wasn't the word. Hwoarang just seemed off. That was the only way to describe it.

"Hwoarang you're staring again." This time, Jin didn't take his attention from his food. "And you're drooling, too." Jin could see out of his peripheral vision that Hwoarang had quickly averted his eyes and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Whatever," he murmured.

Jin nodded and continued his thoughts from before meeting with Hwoarang at his apartment. He had been trying to figure out where to go from here. When he had gone to get Hwoarang, he had prepared himself to hear a no, but to his surprise and relief, the answer had been the nearest thing to a yes he had ever heard from Hwoarang.

Now, he needed a plan. Kazuya already had a plan, so Jin needed to think carefully about what could happen. Kazuya was a man with friends in high places. The man even had a respected position himself. He could make things a lot more complicated for him.

Jin realized he had made enemies with quite a few people when he had taken over Mishima Zaibatsu. Hell, he almost started a war. Would Kazuya use that against him? Jin also thought of the possibility of the corrupted police force. Would Kazuya pay them off to find him?

No, Kazuya was a private man. He would probably want this swept up under the rug to keep the public from finding out about it. He'd probably treat it just like he treated his death; no one would find out about it until he allowed it.

It was a lot to think about. Jin sighed. He probably couldn't even use his name. He'd have to go buy more jogging outfits to help stay hidden like the last tournament, but he had his doubts about Hwoarang. Hwoarang had never kept a low profile, except for when he had gone AWOL. Even then, he hadn't been very discreet about his whereabouts. The Korean military had found him easily.

Actually, Jin figured Heihachi had had something to do with that. If that was the case then maybe Hwoarang could keep a low profile. That would be less a hassle on him.

It was about then that a special broadcast flashed on the small TV in the restaurant. The person behind the counter turned up the volume so that everyone could hear.

"_It's been brought to our attention that one Kazama Jin has been reported kidnapped. Jin was the manager for Mishima Zaibatsu and was in charge of putting together Tekken Tournament 6." _

Hwoarang shot Jin a questioning look. Jin shrugged and turned back to the TV.

"_It has been stated that he was last seen in this area about two days ago and he was in the company of a man with unnatural red hair. If you have seen or heard from Kazama Jin, please give your local law enforcement a call."_

Hwoarang watched in utter disbelief, and it repulsed Jin that someone would believe that he would ever allow himself to be kidnapped.

Immediately, all eyes turned to where Jin and Hwoarang were sitting. Jin felt himself sink down into his chair. What had he gotten himself into?

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